Vitamins

Alternate Treatments, Gastroenterology, Infection, Nutrition, Vitamins

In the Lab with Natural Immune Formulas

January 27, 2024

This week let’s look behind the scenes, in the labs where doctors and scientists are designing health supplements that address specific goals. What’s motivating them? What are they trying to do? And how successful are they? There are thousands of natural health supplements on the market – from vitamins and minerals to botanicals and proteins, plus all kinds of things falling into categories like enzymes and fatty acids. Then on top of this, there all the natural therapies offered by physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and so on. Collectively, it’s a mega-billion set of industries. Complicating the scene are corporations, like Proctor & Gamble, Bayer, and Abbott. Going toe to toe in the marketplace with these giants are small businesses, whom we can...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Lifestyle, Philosophy, Vitamins

Jobs One, Two and Three for Lifelong Health

January 13, 2024

By the time you are reading this article, the stakes establishing the life course of your health have long been set. Your genetic inheritance, location, and family circumstances, combined with a complex set of early life factors determine how your health trajectory will begin. Through childhood and adulthood, you have opportunities to influence your well-being, but in the grand scheme, it’s tinkering at the margins. As you age, the question becomes, what can you do to maximize good health and minimize the impact of the inevitable decline? Taking good care to avoid the obvious pitfalls is job number one. Parents need to teach children about safety as early in life as possible. And everyone needs to practice safety daily and for...Read More

Infection, Vitamins

Missing Messages in Infection Prevention

October 21, 2023

Influenza, or the flu, is on the rise this time of year. That’s because the virus spreads easily when people are indoors in close contact and when the air is less humid and colder. So, it makes sense that International Infection Prevention Week takes place in October. But what doesn’t make sense is the absence of an important message. Public health officials offer a standard list of best practices to reduce the risk of infections. Hand hygiene is top of the list. It’s a fact that many people don’t wash their hands after using the toilet. But they will clutch their mobile phones, which never get washed, before during and after trips to the toilet. Hands and phones are both common...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Diabetes, Infection, Lifestyle, Vitamins

Preventing Diabetes Risk Due to COVID-19 Infection

September 2, 2023

Will COVID-19 and the complications associated with this disease ever vanish? Never bet on it. Virus experts say COVID-19 will rise its ugly head again this fall. With it, they add, the complication of both types of diabetes will increase. It’s the last thing we need when obesity is already causing a worldwide pandemic of type 2 diabetes. So, how can you reduce the risk? It’s easier than you think. First, type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not make enough insulin. Lifelong replacement and management of this hormone is the only option. With the more common type 2 diabetes, the body does not respond normally to insulin. We call this “Lifestyle Diabetes”. Why? Because it is preventable by avoiding...Read More

Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vitamins

Potassium by the Doctrine of the Golden Mean

August 5, 2023

Aristotle’s doctrine of the golden mean lauds the middle ground of two extremes: excess and deficiency. But not everyone follows this sage advice. And not all vitamins and minerals send clear signals of absence or excess. This week, a look at potassium, the third most abundant mineral in the body. People, animals, and plants all depend on potassium for essential functions. Depleted soil requires potassium to be replaced with fertilizer. Young animals lacking potassium will quickly die. In people, there’s danger in either too much or too little potassium. But a healthy diet, including healthy drinks, is the best approach. The American Heart Association recommends 3,400 milligrams (mg) of potassium per day for men and 2,600 mg per day for women. A...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Lifestyle, Medicine, Nutrition, Philosophy, Vitamins

Government’s Good Intentions Gone Bad

July 15, 2023

Everyone wants a safe, effective, and accessible supply of the products that keep us healthy. Doctors and patients need proven drugs. People seeking to prevent illness with natural remedies also need good products. But governments trying to ensure quality are putting measures in place that will limit the variety of supplements, make them more expensive, and make it harder for smaller companies with innovative products to compete. Natural products like vitamin C, fish oil, magnesium, calcium, and many other supplements are ingredients to good health. For the cost of a cup or coffee, daily supplementation can address deficiencies in the diet, add antioxidants, reduce inflammation, support the immune system, build bone, etc. For example, vitamin C and lysine in high doses help...Read More

Lifestyle, Vitamins

100th Trip Around the Sun

March 4, 2023

People often ask me, what’s my secret to a long and healthy life? This week, I start my 100th trip around the sun. So I must acknowledge that Lady Luck has been on my side. But it’s not just good luck, or good genes. As a medical doctor, I learned early that the best way to stay healthy is to avoid getting sick. Doctors can occasionally work miracles. But these are rare, and you should not count on them as a strategy for a long and healthy life. Your physical body is your only vehicle on this journey of life. It’s been said, “If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?” So take this to heart. Rule...Read More

Vitamins

Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin

February 25, 2023

Vitamin D is often referred to as the "sunshine vitamin". This is because it is synthesized in our skin in response to sunlight. The beauty of Vitamin D is that it's free – a great model for “all things in moderation” too. There are two main forms of vitamin D: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is the form that is synthesized in the skin, while vitamin D2 is found in some plant-based foods and supplements. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining bone health by promoting the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the diet. It also helps to regulate the immune system and may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, such as colon, breast, and prostate...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Gastroenterology, Vitamins

Constipation Causes More Trouble Than You Think

September 17, 2022

Now and again, friends confide in friends that they have big problems. Dreaded are the occasions when the problem is a serious medical diagnosis. But when the problem is persistent constipation, it’s better to air the issue and not suffer in silence. Drug store remedies for constipation can fail to have effect. For many sufferers, the ailment involves days without a bowel movement. Ignoring the problem can lead to disturbing complications, to be avoided at all costs. Dr. Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel Prize winner, believed we are all living with sub-optimal levels of vitamin C. His primary interest was in studying the effects of high doses of vitamin C in protecting against heart disease. But in an interview with him, he...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Cancer, Diabetes, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Obesity, Vitamins

A Windfall of Science on Apples

September 10, 2022

We write about natural remedies we believe are good for human health.  Why this focus?  It’s not to encourage avoidance of pharmaceutical drugs when medical care is an imperative.  To the contrary, Canadians and Americans have the luxury of the world’s best doctors, medicinal drugs, and healthcare facilities. But health systems are overwhelmed. To ease the crush, people who are not yet ill should take up responsibility to stay healthy. Good health is not achieved through inaction. Live a poor lifestyle and illness will come as sure as night follows day. But the talents of doctors and the cure of drugs are best reserved for the unlucky who lose the health lottery. For young people and the healthy aging population, a proactive,...Read More

Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Infection, Vitamins

Viruses Love a Weak Immune System

July 2, 2022

Justin Bieber, the mega-successful pop icon, has had better days. His mental health and addiction issues are common to many superstars. He’s had Lyme disease and infectious mononucleosis. COVID infections interrupted concert dates. Now, he is suffering from a viral disease that has affected his speech and made him cancel more concerts. At only 28-years of age and all the wealth one could want, what’s going wrong? Doctors have determined his latest problem, a condition known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. It occurs when the same virus that causes chickenpox activates in the ear and facial nerves causing facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear. He is being treated and will be back on the stage soon. But Ramsay Hunt syndrome is...Read More

Vitamins

How Do You Know You’re Deficient in Vitamin C?

May 21, 2022

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient found in citrus fruits and as a dietary supplement. Now, a reader asks, “How do I know if I have a deficiency of vitamin C?” It’s a good question, as studies show that 14 percent of North Americans aren’t getting even the meagre recommended daily dose. Many more aren’t getting the high doses needed to decrease the risk of heart attack, stroke, and chronic inflammation. What are symptoms of vitamin C deficiency? Bleeding Gums, Tooth Loss, and Easy Bruising Vitamin C is needed to produce collagen, the glue that holds cells together. If there’s too little C, weakened blood vessels bleed when brushing teeth. The tragedy is teeth are lost not just by tooth decay. Many teeth...Read More

Cardiovascular, Vitamins

Why Wouldn’t You Take Care of Your Heart?

February 19, 2022

Diana Gifford-Jones: You are starting your 99th year. To what do you attribute your good health? Gifford-Jones, MD: I’ve been fortunate, but it nearly didn’t happen. I suffered a major heart attack when I was 74. My cardiologists insisted on cholesterol-lowering drugs to fight heart disease. But I knew of two-time Nobel Prize winner Dr. Linus Pauling’s research on high-dose vitamin C. I opted for a regimen of 10,000 mg daily which I still continue. Diana: Why not take cholesterol-lowering drugs? Giff: There are side-effects I preferred to avoid. Everyone needs to make their own decisions with their doctors, but mine was anchored in the belief Dr. Pauling was right. He knew that animals produce vitamin C and humans do not. This is...Read More

Infection, Medicine, Vitamins

The Case for Vaccination is Clear

October 23, 2021

What helped to shape my career? As a small child I became spell bound when I read Paul de Kruif’s book “Microbe Hunters”, published in 1926. It offers a sweeping history of the earliest microbiologists and immunologists, dating back to the discovery of microbes in the 17th century. Louis Pasteur features prominently as the researcher who discovered how to make the vaccine that neutralizes the microbe that causes rabies. Scientists were producing vaccines to treat many other viral diseases. It became my burning desire to be a doctor. Vaccines have saved countless lives. This is clear. Three years ago, my column discussed vaccination. I explained that, as a surgeon, I could never guarantee that operations were 100 percent free of complications. I...Read More

Vitamins

What Would Make Your Skin Turn Yellow?

August 21, 2021

A report from the Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the New England Journal of Medicine tells an interesting story. A 62-year-old man over a two-month period developed numbness, a “pins and needles” sensation in his hands, shortness of breath, trouble walking due to severe joint pain, and he began to turn yellow. Anyone faced with all these problems would think the end is near and start planning to say goodbye to loved ones. In retrospect, his symptoms could have been even worse.  He could also have faced paranoia, delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and more. But this man had a pinch of good luck. Tests revealed he had a deficiency of vitamin B-12. He wasn’t going to die. But...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Cardiovascular, Vitamins

Long-term survival after heart attack

August 7, 2021

Diana Gifford-Jones: You were 74 when a coronary attack nearly killed you. A short time later you had a coronary bypass. Readers often ask what you have done to prevent another coronary for so long? Gifford-Jones, MD: I have no single answer. I’m convinced it’s been a combination of factors. Diana: What’s your personal routine for heart health? G-J: I was lucky to interview Dr. Linus Pauling years ago. He believed that heart disease is partially due to a deficiency of vitamin C. This causes microscopic cracks in the inner lining of arteries. A blood clot results with possibility of death. I didn’t want to pop handfuls of vitamin C tablets, so I formulated Medi-C Plus, a powder form of C in combination...Read More

Cardiovascular, Neurology, Nutrition, Orthopedics, Pain, Vitamins

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

July 31, 2021

Magnesium is involved in roughly 80 percent of metabolic functions in the body. It is critical in delivering energy to cells and for the production of glutathione, an important antioxidant inside cells. Today, due to depletion of magnesium in the soil and modern food processing, about 60 percent of North Americans are deficient in this vital mineral. This hidden depletion could be causing diverse symptoms. Suffering Migraine Attacks? About 15 percent of the population experience one or more migraine attacks due to constricted blood vessels. Studies show that blood levels of magnesium in migraine patients are low compared to healthy patients. But they are even lower during a migraine attack. An intravenous injection of magnesium relaxes constricted vessels and relieves migraine pain. Feeling...Read More

Vitamins

It’s Dangerous to Ignore Vitamin K2

April 10, 2021

Some vitamins don’t get the attention they deserve. Ask anyone about vitamin K2 and few people can give an answer. In Vitamin K2: The Missing Nutrient for Heart and Bone Health, Dr. Dennis Goodman says ignoring vitamin K2 can be dangerous. So here are some important points to help you understand why K2 needs more attention. In 1929, Dr. Hendrik Dam, a Danish scientist, discovered vitamin K. Now we know there are two types of K: K1 and K2. Most people get sufficient amounts of K1 by eating leafy green vegetables, rich in this vitamin. If you’re cut, K1 plays a role in blood clotting. K2 supports bone density. Bones, although solid structures, are not inert. Rather, they are constantly changing. Cells...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Nutrition, Sports, Vitamins

Can Athletes Escape Covid Virus?

February 6, 2021

Professional sporting events have never been entirely about the game. Team owners, player sponsorships, media contracts, ticket sales, and merchandising licenses are the playgrounds of big business. But the tiniest of offensive players, the novel coronavirus, has upended the sporting world. It has become a matter of great debate whether your grandmother or your favourite sports star should have priority for a vaccine. Take NHL hockey as an example. A delayed season has started. Only a handful of arenas are allowing limited spectators to attend the games. The league is working hard to keep players safe from COVID-19, but games have been delayed and postponed due to positive tests among players, coaches and staff. As one wise sage remarked, “It’s hard...Read More

Alternate Treatments, Vitamins

What’s the Best Approach to Natural Supplements?

October 31, 2020

Readers of this column know, the Gifford-Jones natural health philosophy is built on the premise that the medical establishment should not be your first stop for staying healthy.  Doctors are best as a last resort. Tragic bad luck aside, your first defense should be Mother Nature in combination with good lifestyle choices.  But what does this mean as you age? Natural supplements are low-cost and widely available, but they are not marketed with the same multimillion-dollar budgets as most pharmaceutical drugs.  So a good starting point is to adopt common sense. Unless your doctor has a strong rationale for putting you on drugs, and a plan to get you off them, you should ask more questions and do more homework.  Have you,...Read More

Vitamins

Vitamin D to Survive the Pandemic

August 8, 2020

An effective vaccine against the coronavirus may be the only way to end the pandemic.  Wouldn’t we all love a return to social normalcy and easier sleep?  But until scientists deliver a vaccine, or until the virus runs its course and goes away, we need to use other measures. Among them, medical authorities should be sharing more information with the public about natural ways to build up immunity against viral infections. Vitamin D is one of the crucial components of your immune system.  Many people are deficient in it, but perhaps because there are no headlines about it, some people don’t seem to care.  Now, a report in the Irish Medical Journal says it’s vital to have the right amount of...Read More

Infection, Vitamins

 How Safe Is It To Send Your Child Back To School?

August 1, 2020

Parents are wondering if it’s safe to send children back to school when so many are still becoming infected with coronavirus. What are the factors to consider? And what can parents do to help ensure children are protected? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports the academic, physical, and mental benefits of in-person learning outweigh coronavirus risks. Negative impacts on children during school closures include social isolation, substance abuse, depression and suicidal ideation. In fact, the detrimental effects of children missing out on school are well known, even before COVID-19.  Millions of youngsters around the world suffer lifelong social and economic consequences when lacking access to quality education.  But when it’s our children, the list of negatives grows longer by the hour...Read More

Infection, Vitamins

Ten Cents a Dance: Or Twenty Cents to Fight the Virus

March 21, 2020

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGOc8f5kd6w[/embedyt] How many readers recall, during World War II, seeing military personnel dancing with women for “ten cents a dance”?  Today, we face a different foe, coronavirus (COVID-19). But individuals can decrease the risk of infection and death from the virus. And companies, the loss of employees and the chaos that will create. The cost? Just twenty cents a day. So, why is it not being done? By now, you have heard over-and-over the many ways to practice sound hygiene. Like washing your hands frequently. Keeping distance from people. No more hugging and kissing. Coughing into your sleeve. Avoiding large public gatherings. But more, COVID-19 is changing our way of life.  We will be quarantined if we travel, assuming we can even...Read More

Pain, Philosophy, Vitamins

Why Are Families So Polite When Loved Ones Are Suffering?

March 7, 2020

Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, was right when he wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I recently planned to attend a recent health meeting in Vancouver, traveling there by train.  But the trip ended abruptly when protesters blocked the rail lines. What is the relevance, you might ask? I’ve given considerable thought to what happened. To me, it is a matter of societal complacency – and it is affecting our health. So, here’s a question for readers. Why are family members so damn polite and so silent when they see loved ones suffering? Why do medical support organizations react the same way? And, why do civilians continue to be so passive when elected politicians delay and...Read More

Infection, Philosophy, Vitamins

More Research Is Killing COVID-19 Victims

February 29, 2020

Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, wrote “There is a stupid corner in the brain of every wise man.” The best current example is the appalling lack of action by the Chinese government to fight COVID-19 with high doses of vitamin c – both as a clinical treatment for those who are infected and as a preventative measure to help halt the virus. I applaud the doctor in a Wuhan hospital who announced the start of a randomized, triple-blind clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of 12-24 grams/day of intravenous vitamin C (IVC).  But the results won’t be known for months.  Meantime, people die needlessly. Why do Chinese health authorities not know that we’ve already got enough research?  Why does the WHO, with its...Read More